In Women We Trust (?)

In covering politics, one thing that continues to intrigue me is the extent to which man, in his pursuit of greatness and posterity, succumbs to the trappings of greed and corruption and recedes into the annals of history indistinguishable from his average countryman (other than that he often screwed his average countryman to lead the lifestyle he did).

This tendency is particularly conspicuous in Africa, though it’s also been the case on just about every other continent for time immemorial.

And it begs the question: how great is man, really?

Women have been asking the same question for decades now, only to be dismissed as bitter inferiors – before man blunders on down the same myopic war path he’s been and stunting our human potential.

Now, just in time for Women’s Day, comes a book by Dan Abrams, called Man Down: Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt That Women Are Better Cops, Drivers, Gamblers, Spies, World Leaders, Beer Tasters, Hedge Fund Managers, and Just About Everything Else.

According to the book’s opening:
In nearly every field, statistics and studies show that women are better collaborators, are more cautious and more adept at navigating treacherous terrain. I am not convinced that women as a group play basketball or read maps better than men. The evidence here will show, however, that women are living longer and evolving better than men.

A separate study by the Australian Institute of Management (AIM) recently found that women make better senior managers on various performance measures, including leadership, decision-making and people management.

That’s hard news for any man to swallow, and I want to believe it’s some kind of mistake. But considering where humanity has progressed to, or regressed to, at this late stage in history, a rational man would be out of his mind to reject the findings wholesale either.

Besides, according to Abrams, we guys still top the girls when it comes to parking and reading a map. And can they write better? ; ) (Click here for an interview with the author.)

Ok, it is also more likely to take us more than five years to get our bachelor’s degree – but that, believe me, is because we’re so busy thinking through and fixing the world’s problems.

Gatsiounis is an East Africa-based author and journalist known for his frank and revealing analysis of pressing global issues. Prior to his arrival on the Continent last year, his trenchant and often prescient commentaries, penned in a climate of restriction and intimidation for publications across the political spectrum, including Newsweek, ... Continue reading →